Machine for molding butter.



No 802,700. PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

T. LEBEAU.

MACHINE FOR- MOLDING BUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

35 J67 M/UVVESSES PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905.

T. LEBEAU. MACHINE FOR MOLDING BUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.15,1905.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

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PATEN FFTCE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24:, 1905.

Application filed March 15, 1905. Serial No. 250,224.

To (1, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TI-IEOPHILE LEBEAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forMoldingButter; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for moldingbutter.

The object of the invention is to produce a machine for use inrestaurants, hotels, and other places where butter is served which willform the butter into small molds or pertions and insert the molds insuitable receptacles or dishes ready to serve, so that no handling ofthe molds of butter is necessary.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription of the preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the preferred embodiment ofthe invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is afront view, partly in section; and Fig. 4 is a rear view, partly insection.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a press in whichthe butter is placed in bulk, provided with means for expressing thebutter through a suitably-formed orifice in a continuous stream, areciprocating mold for impressing a suitable form upon the butter as itissues from the press, means for cutting off the molded portion ofbutter, and automatic means for feeding dishes, inserting the molds ofbutter therein, and discharging the dishes.

The press 1 is provided with a sliding follower 2, which is actuated byascrew-threaded shaft 3, turned by a crank 4. removable cover 5, whichis made hollow in order to contain ice to keep the butter cool. Thescrew-threaded shaft 3 is supported in a journal 6 on the frame of themachine, and in order to facilitate filling the press the journal isprovided with a removable cap 7, secured by a pin 8, so that the shaft 3and follower 2 may be conveniently removed from the press. The butterissues from the press through an orifice 9, which may be of any shapewhich it is desired to impart to the issuing stream of butter.

The mold has a.

The mold 10 is carried bya horizontal slide 11, having hearings on theframe of the machine, and at suitable times in the operation of themachine the mold-slide 11 and the mold are drawn to the right so as tomove the mold to the orifice and cause it to operate upon the butterissuing therefrom. The slide 11 is connected by a link 12 with abell-crank lever 13, pivoted to the frame of the machine. One arm of thebell-crank lever 13 is engaged by the crank 4 during a part of itsrotation, and the lever is thereby swung about its pivot and acts tomove the slide 11 and the mold. A spring 14, connected with the lever13, tends to return it to the position of Fig. 1 and to withdraw themold from the butter; but in order that the mold may remain in operativeposition While a sufficient amount of butter is expressed from the pressto fill the mold a latch 15, sliding vertically in the frame of themachine, is arranged to engage and hold the lever 13 when swung back asabove described. The latch is connected with a pivoted lever 16, hearingagainst a cam 17 fixed to the shaft 3, and after the shaft has turnedsufficiently to fill the mold with butter a projection on the cam 17rocks the lever 16 and raises the latch, thereby releasing the lever 13and permitting the parts to return to the position of the drawings.

The means for cutting off the molded portion of butter comprise a frame18, having two arms, between which a wire 19 is stretched. The frame 18is pivoted to a lever 20, pivotally connected at 21 to the frame of themachine. A spring 22, connecting the frame 18 and the lever 20, drawsthe wire 19 closely against a projecting surface 22 on the front end ofthe press. The rear end of the lever 20 is connected with a plunger 23,arranged to slide vertically in the frame of the machine andperiodically engaged by a cam-arm 24, fixed to the shaft 3. When thecam-arm engages and depresses the plunger 23, the wire 19 moves upwardacross the aperture 9 and cuts off the butter close thereto. A spring25, surrounding the plunger 23, insures the return of the parts to theposition of the drawings when the plunger is disengaged by the cam-arm.

The means for feeding the dishes or other receptacles for the buttercomprise a box 26 in which a pile of dishes is placed and a feedslide27, arranged to slide horizontally across the bottom of the box 26. Thefeed-slide has a flat portion, upon which the dishes are normallysupported, and an opening 28, large enough to receive one dish. Thefeed-slide is connected by an arm 29 with the mold-slide 11, so thatwhen the latter moves to the right the feed-slide moves simultaneously,so that the opening 28 is brought under the pile of dishes and thelowermost dish falls into the opening. Upon the subsequent returnmovement of the mold-slide and the feed-slide the dish in the opening 28is transferred to a chute 30, down which it slides. From the chute thedish is discharged to a dish-holder 31, which is pivoted at 32 to asupporting-arm 33, pivoted at 34 to the frame of the machine. The lever20 is provided with an extension 35, which engages the dish-holder 31 asthe lever 20 rises during the cutting operation and tilts thedish-holder and the dish to a vertical position, thereby bringing thedish into contact with the portion of butter which is being separated bythe wire 19. i/Vhen the lever 20 descends, the dish-holder and dishresume their horizontal position and the butter adheres to the dish andremains therein. has been filled with butter, the arm 33 is providedwith a cam-surface 36, engaged by a corresponding surface on themold-slide 11, and during the right-hand movement of the mold-slide thearm 33 is by these means swung outward, carrying the dish-holder 31 tothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The dish-holder when inits horizontal position is supported by an arm 37, projecting from theframe of the machine, and the extremity of this arm is provided with anupturned portion 38, which engages the dish-holder when in the positionshown in full lines, Fig. 1; but when the dish-holder is swung into theposition shown in dotted lines it disengages the portion 38 of the arm37 and is allowed to tilt downward to a sufficient extent to permit thedish to slide off onto a suitable chute or other receptacle. W hen themold-slide returns to the position of the drawings, the arm 33 is swunginward by a spring 39 secured thereto.

The mold 10 is provided with a movable bottom 10 to facilitate cleaningthe mold or removing any butter adhering thereto, and the mold isremovably secured in the slide 11 by means of a shank 11, engaging asocket on the slide, so that molds of various patterns may be used.

The operation of the machine in general is as follows: Starting with thepress in the position shown in the drawings, the crank is turnedcontinuously to the left and the follower 2 continuously expresses thebutter from the orifice 9. During the first part of the rotation of thecrank the mold is drawn against the butter and is held there untilenough butter has emerged to fill it. Simultaneously with this movementof the mold the In order to discharge the dish which feed-slide 27 movesto the right and receives a dish. Upon the continued rotation of thecrank the cam 17 and the parts connected therewith act to release themold-slide and the mold moves back again to the position of thedrawings. Simultaneously the feed slide transfers the dish to the chute30, and the dish thereupon is discharged into the dish-holder 31, asshown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. Thereafter the cam-arm 24, through theintermediate mechanism above described, actuates the cutting-wire andthedish-holder to sever the butter and apply it to the dish, and during thesucceeding right-hand movement of the mold-slide the dish-holder swingsout and discharges the dish.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed is-- 1. Abutter-molding machine, having, in combination, a press for expressingthe butter in a stream, a reciprocating mold intermittently engaging andmolding the end of the stream of butter, means for applying a dish tothe butter, and means for cutting off the portion of butter in contactwith the dish, substantially as described.

2. A butter-molding machine, having, in combination, a press forexpressing the butter in a stream, means for carrying a dish to aposition adjacent to the stream of butter and then raising the dish andpressing it .against the butter so that the butter will adhere to thedish, and means for cutting off the portion of butter in contact withthe dish, substantially as described.

3. A butter-molding machine, having, in combination, a press forexpressing the butter in a stream, a reciprocating mold engaging andmolding the end of the stream of butter, means for holding a supply ofdishes, a feed-slide for feeding the dishes one by one, an inclinedchute down which the dishes slide when fed, a dish-holder into which thedishes are discharged from the chute, means for actuating thedish-holder to apply the dishes to the end of the stream of butter, andmeans for cutting off the portion of butter in contact with a dish,substantially as described.

4. A butter-molding machine, having, in combination, a press providedwith an orifice through which the butter is forced in a stream, meansfor holding a dish and applying it to the end of the issuing stream ofbutter, and means for cutting off the portion of the butter in contactwith the dish, substantially as described.

5. A butter-molding machine, having, in combination, a press providedwith an orifice through which the butter is forced in a stream, meansfor holding a dish in contact with the stream of butter, and means forcutting off the portion of butter in contact with the dish, thedish-holding means operating automatically to remove the dish after thebutter is cut ofi, substantially as described.

6. A butter-molding machine, having, in In testimonywhereoflaflixmysignaturein comblnatlon, a press, a follower, a screwpresence oftwo wltnesses. threaded shaft engaging the follower and supported in ajournal, and removable means for EHEOPHILE LLBLAU' 5 securing the shaftin the journal arranged to Witnesses:

permit its removement laterally therefrom, HORACE VAN EVEREN,

substantially as described. FARNUM F. DORSEY.

